The eight-legged Smiler crawled forward, each movement shaking the forest floor. Its jagged claws scraped the ground as if tearing the very earth apart. Kyron’s eyes narrowed, his grip on his katana tightening.

“Neelam,” he barked over the thunderous sound of snapping trees, “step aside. Let me handle this first!”

She hesitated, her wide eyes tracking the monstrous Smiler. “Kyron… you sure? It’s—”

“Just trust me!” he snapped, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.

With that, he charged, flames licking at the edges of his sword. "Anger Emotion: Bird Style—Flame Rush!" He surged forward like a streak of burning light, slicing through the air with a Flame Slash.

The Smiler blocked the attack, but as its spindly legs struck, they shot out webs that tangled Kyron’s blade. Sparks flew as he forced his sword free, flames roaring louder, singeing the sticky strands.

Kyron leapt back, flames trailing him. “Heh… ugly and weird, huh? Definitely the weirdest thing I’ve fought!” He shot a midair Flame Slash toward the creature like a projectile. The Smiler twisted violently, barely dodging.

“Come on, is that all you’ve got?” Kyron yelled, his grin widening.

He charged again, crashing headlong into the spider-like Smiler. Its clawed legs swung like scythes, smashing the earth and snapping trees. Kyron blocked, parried, and countered in a blur of fire and steel.

Neelam gritted her teeth, realizing she couldn’t keep up physically. "I can’t match him head-to-head… but maybe… if I use my Fear…" She muttered to herself, eyes glowing faintly blue, the mist around her beginning to shimmer with her intent.

Meanwhile, Kyron’s laughter echoed through the trees. “This is fun! Come on, let me see what you’re really made of!” He dodged a rapid swing of the Smiler’s legs, sparks and splinters flying everywhere. He slashed again, but the creature’s regeneration made it seem almost invincible.

A sharp pain shot up Kyron’s leg. He stumbled slightly, grimacing. "Oh shoot! I can’t use Bird Dash… not like this… we’re screwed if she doesn’t act."

He yelled to Neelam over the chaos: “Neelam! Do something! Now! Or we’re dead!”

Her eyes narrowed. She inhaled, letting her Fear Emotion flow through her body. Shadows pooled beneath her, illusions forming, twisting the space around her.

"Now… now or never."

She surged forward, katana glowing with her Fear energy. The Smiler’s attention was on Kyron, its monstrous eyes tracking every movement, every fiery strike.

From behind, Neelam struck. Her blade pierced straight into the Smiler’s chest, her Fear energy amplifying the pain. The creature let out a guttural scream, its regeneration struggling against the onslaught of her emotion-fueled strike.

But it wasn’t finished yet. The Smiler writhed, its limbs flailing wildly. Its jagged mouth opened in a grotesque grin, dripping saliva that hissed on the forest floor.

Kyron landed beside Neelam, panting, sweat dripping down his brow. “Good… good!” he shouted, still grinning despite the blood on his leg. “Keep it up! Don’t let it get back to its feet!”

Neelam’s hair clung to her face, sweat and mist swirling around her. “It’s… not enough yet. We need more… we have to… end this!”

The spider-like Smiler hissed, turning its eight eyes toward Neelam. “You… dare strike me? Fools… I will feast on you both!”

Kyron’s grip on his sword tightened. “Then feast, ugly thing… but not before we finish this!”

The forest erupted in fire and shadow, sparks flying, mist swirling, and the ground quaking beneath the furious battle of two Hunters against one unholy Smiler.

The spider-like Smiler’s eight legs snapped and twirled, each movement faster than the eye could follow. Its gaze locked onto Neelam. In a sudden, swift motion, it lashed out with its webs, flinging her against a tree branch. The sticky strands wrapped around her limbs, pinning her in place.

“Kyron! Finish this quick!” she screamed, struggling as the web tightened.

The Smiler’s grotesque mouth curved into a cruel grin. “Huh… your friend thinks she can kill me with an ordinary attack? How foolish,” it hissed. Its many eyes glinted as it crawled toward Kyron.

Kyron’s expression hardened. “You picked the wrong day to get greedy.”

As it lunged, coughing a spray of blood from its jagged maw, Kyron rushed forward, blades raised. The Smiler swung one of its legs like a battering ram. Kyron parried and slashed, cutting the limb clean off. The creature recoiled, attempting to regenerate—but something was wrong. It couldn’t.

Neelam’s laughter cut through the chaos, sharp and victorious. “You thought I was stupid enough to just stab you with a normal katana?” she called. Her katana glowed faintly, imbued with fear energy and holy water. “This katana was fueled with Fear… and poisoned holy water specially made to stop Smiler cells from regenerating and evolving. That means… you’re going to die soon, whether by Kyron or by my poison!”

The Smiler recoiled, its monstrous legs thrashing in panic, eyes wide with fear.

Kyron grinned, flames licking the edges of his blade. “Alright then… let’s finish this.”

With a surge of speed and fire, Kyron launched Bird Style: Flame Rush and followed up with a spinning Flame Slash. The Smiler tried to counter, but its body faltered under the combined effects of fear and holy water poison.

Kyron’s katana cut through the monster’s neck cleanly. Its head rolled across the forest floor. The body shuddered violently, then disintegrated, the sticky webs falling harmlessly to the ground.

Neelam, still entangled in the branch, fell backward. Kyron caught her with ease, holding her steady. She blinked up at him, hair sticking to her sweat-damp face.

“Thanks… for that,” she murmured, recovering her katana from the dissolving mass of the Smiler.

Kyron smirked, brushing ash from his blade. “Don’t thank me yet. You almost got yourself eaten back there. Next time, try not to get caught in the web, okay?”

Neelam rolled her eyes, a small smile breaking through her fatigue. “I’ll try… but you’ve got to admit, it’s a little fun watching you go all-in with your flames.”

Kyron laughed, the sound ringing through the forest. “Fun? You mean terrifying. That thing almost shredded me before you poked it with your little fancy sword. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you set it up. That fear trick of yours… clever.”

Neelam nodded, glancing at the horizon as the first golden rays of sunlight pierced through the trees. “Looks like the nightmare’s over… at least for now.”

Kyron’s gaze followed hers. “Yeah… but we’re not done yet. One more day to survive, and then this exam’s finally behind us.”

She chuckled softly. “One more day… I think I can handle it… as long as you don’t nap through the entire thing next time.”

Kyron raised an eyebrow, mock-offended. “Hey! I earned that nap!”

Neelam laughed, shaking her head. “Sure you did… sure you did.”

Together, they stood amidst the quiet forest, the morning sun illuminating the battlefield, and a brief moment of peace settled between them.

[TO BE CONTINUED]